Headwear are commonly used in a variety of alternative sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and rock-climbing. Generally, helmets are comprised of a hard outer shell usually made of plastic, and a cushioned inner layer usually made of foam or padding. Such helmets are made to withstand an anticipated level of impact, but light enough to not be restrictive for movement for the specified activity.
Participants in such sports enjoy video recording while engaged in an activity. Usually, another person would have to be present to record the participant. Although this type of video recording may be preferable, there are instances in alternative sports activities when it is difficult or inconvenient. For example, in certain activities such as snowboarding or rock-climbing, it may be difficult for the person video recording to be able to follow continuously the participant during the entire activity. Moreover, certain participants may prefer to video record the activity in their own perspective, not the perspective of another person. However, due to the nature of some activities, it may not be feasible, if not impossible, for the participant to be holding a video camera in their hands while engaging in that activity. Therefore, there is a need for a way for an individual engaging in an activity to video record it without having to hold a recording device.
To address this need, cameras that mount on helmets have been made known in the prior art. Commonly, the camera is separate from the helmet and is attached to the external shell of the helmet by a special mount or connector. However, this approach often significantly increases the overall weight of the helmet or creates an uneven distribution of weight that may cause a sense of imbalance. In alternative sports such as skateboarding, a participant wearing a heavy or disproportionately weighted helmet may be encumbered from doing tricks and special maneuvers that require absolute balance.
In addition, cameras that mount onto helmets protrude outwardly and may hinder the participant. For activities that require the participant to travel at high speeds, the protruding camera can cause wind resistance, creating drag and strain on the participant's head. A protruding camera can also be dangerous because there is a greater chance that it may be entangled or come into contact with something during the activity. Furthermore, expensive camera equipment is more likely to become damaged if it is protruding outwardly from a helmet.
Furthermore, the camera placement may give an undesired point of view. When cameras are mounted on the top of a helmet, the point of view may be directed too far into the distance. In other words, the participant's point of view at his eyelevel may be substantially different from the point of view several inches above eye level.
Moreover, cameras with a fixed field of view may not be desirable for some alternative sports. Within a single alternative sport, there are many subcategories of distinctly different activities. For example, there are many variations of skateboarding such as downhill longboarding, freestyle, street, and vert (“vertical”) skateboarding. Each subcategory of skateboard requires a different field of view for recording. For instance, downhill longboarding, where a skateboarder rides down a steep hill at high speeds, a field of view nearly parallel to the horizontal plane of a helmet is required see into the distance. In contrast, vert skateboarding, where a skateboarder rides on a half-pipe ramp, a view nearly perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the helmet is required to see the ramp below the participant's feet.
In addition, for street or freestyle skateboarding, where a skateboarder rides at an outdoor or “street” environment, a plurality of perspectives required depending on the type of “trick” the skateboarder is recording. Street or freestyle skateboarding is often a fluid improvisation of a series of tricks based obstacles in the environment. Therefore, there is a need for a headwear with an built-in camera to provide a plurality of perspectives, as well as allow a user to quickly and change the camera perspective during the course of skateboarding.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is a need for headwear with an built-in camera providing plurality of perspectives, particularly a downward orientation relative to a horizontal plane of the headwear.